1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying seasoning to snack food products such as potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for applying seasoning uniformly by having an adjustable configuration that minimizes snack food product breakage during application.
2. Description of Related Art
Snack food products, particularly seasoned snacks, are popular snack choices with consumers. For example, potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, and the like are seasoned prior packaging. To season, snack food products are typically seasoned by sprinkling one or more seasonings onto the surface of the snack food products while being tumbled in a drum type tumbler. The seasonings for snacks include salt, barbecue flavoring, sour cream and onion flavor, vinegar flavor, cheese, and others.
Seasoning is spread onto the snacks by sprinkling on the surface of the products while being tumbled after they have been cooked. The application and distribution of the seasoning onto the snacks is a factor in product quality. If the seasoning is not distributed evenly onto the snacks, some snacks receive excessive amounts of the desired quantity of seasoning while others receive less than desired amounts of seasoning. Achieving the optimum compromise between uniform seasoning coverage of the snack product along with minimum product breakage requires selection of a tumbler drum with a particular design. Factors involved in the proper selection include length, diameter, lifting flight design, tumbling RPM, and inclination angle. This depends on the size, shape, bulk density, and production rate of the particular snack product being seasoned. Often, a tumbler drum must be used that is not ideal because the drum seasons a variety of different products. This results in a higher than necessary product breakage and sub-optimal seasoning coverage. Basically, the overall quality of the snacks will be poor if the seasoning is not applied evenly or if a significant amount of snack product is broken. In addition to the aesthetic aspects of seasoning distribution, economics suffer if the seasoning is applied inefficiently or if snack product is broken.
In FIG. 1, a prior art seasoning applicator 10 is shown for seasoning snack food products 12. Unseasoned snack food products 12 enters cylindrical tumbling drum 14 at one end through a funnel 18. The end of the drum 14 through which the snack food products 12 are introduced is elevated with respect to a discharge end 20. Thereby, snack food products 12 are moved by gravity toward discharge end 20. As drum 14 is axially rotated, baffles 16, which extend longitudinally along the interior surface of drum 14, lift food products 12 to aid in applying the seasoning. A seasoning dispenser 22 has a tube portion 24 that extends into drum 14. Within tube 24 is an auger 26 that is in communication with seasoning hopper 30. As auger 26 is spun, seasoning from hopper 30 is carried through tube 24 and exits through apertures 32 which are disposed on a portion of tube 24 that extends into drum 14. As seasoning is supplied into drum 14, a seasoning curtain 34 is formed through which snack food products 12 pass through.
As shown in the prior art device of FIG. 1, conventional seasoning devices utilize a tumbling drum to assist in apply seasoning onto snack food products. To achieve a uniform amount of seasoning over snack product, the snack product must be tumbled in a tumbler with the proper characteristics, as described above. As it is more economical to use a single production line to make a variety of snack products, not all snack products are seasoned as uniformly as would otherwise be desired. This is because with a variety of snack products having different sizes, shapes, and other characteristics are made with a single production line, one tumbler must be selected that will best season all the different products. The result of this seasoning is often sub-optimal coverage and product breakage.
Consequently, a need exists for a tumbling bed device that will assist in providing uniform seasoning coverage onto snack products while minimizing product breakage. An applicator that can be modified to accommodate the different products to be seasoned with a single production line is desired. Thereby, snack products with uniform seasoning coverage can be produced while avoiding product breakage.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is for a seasoning tumbler for applying seasoning onto snack food products such as potato chips, tortilla chips, corn chips, and the like. The seasoning tumbler has an adjustable geometry in that a belt suspended between an upper and lower rolls that are each adjustable forms the tumbling bed. The belt extends transversely across a predetermined width wherein a slack portion, catenary portion, is formed in the belt. To support the rolls, support arms are provided at least at one for holding the rolls cantilevered or, alternatively, support arms are provided at each side of the rolls.
Snack food products fed onto the belt are tumbled in the catenary portion which is formed on a top portion of the belt. To form the catenary portion, the upper roll is suspended higher and backward from the lower roll. The belt is rotated by motion of the lower roll thereby creating the slack region. By having the entry point of the snack food product onto the belt higher than its departure point, the snack food product will travel along the belt in a downward manner. As snack food product is lifted up along with the belt, the product reaches a point where it is overcome by gravity and falls back toward the lower roll. The snack food product is then captured by the moving belt to repeat this tumbling pattern. To aid the lifting of the product by the belt, flights or cleats can be optionally provide transversely and intermittently across the belt.
Advantageously, the geometry of the tumbling region is adjustable to optimize the application of the seasoning depending on the type of product being seasoned. For example, the inclination of the belt is adjusted by adjusting the slope with movement of both rolls. Thereby, the tumbling time can be increased or decreased as needed. To adjust the curvature of the catenary portion, the top roll can be moved either toward or away from the bottom roll. Thereby, the tumbling bed can be made deeper or shallower. With the adjustability of the tumbling bed, multiple types of snack food can be seasoned uniformly with one production line while minimizing product breakage.